MOUNT ASPIRING

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 153, 26 December 1936, Page 13

MOUNT ASPIRING

FIRST TRAVERSE MADE

Three members of the New Zealand

Alpine Club, Messrs. H. J. Stevenson, R. D. Dick, and D. Lewis, have just returned -to Dunedin from a climbing holiday in the Matukituki Valley (""^.es tfcs "Ctago Daily Times"). Their

eiw^rsion was noteworthy from the fact that the party was successful;.in making the first ascent of Mount Aspiring'by the south-west ridge, and that by returning down the north-west, ridge it completed the first traverse of ".the mountain. .-• . . -, ■

Arriving at Niger Hut on the evening of December B,' the party was packed up-the West Matukituki on the following day by Mr. J. Aspinall, as far as Pearl Flat, where- a base camp was established. Noon next day saw the tent being pitched on the snows of\ the French Ridge. It was extremely, difficult to obtain a camp site as abnormally heavy falls of snow had deeply buried all previous sites. "■": A snow "bivvy," however, was selected, and had it not been for a falling glass in the afternoon all would have been, contented. This stirred recollections of tales told by previous parties which had been exposed to westerlies on that bleak ridge.. By night all . gloomy prophecies were realised, for a furious north-wester swirled round the tent and brought deluges of rain. Fortunately the nor'-wester was of short duration and at 6 a.m. a southerly had sprung up. ' The route now led round the slop.es of Mount French and over the Quarter Deck, where a schorund, well- Opened up for the time of year, was-en-countered. AH the crevasses on theBonar Glacier were covered and the mile and a half trudge to the foot of the south-west ridge of Aspiring, was uneventful. Here a-bivouac was established on the lowest rocks from which the actual climbs could be commenced. That afternoon,' December 11, the first ascent of a divide peak, the Pope's Nose was made, and the second ascent of an unnamed, peak between the Pope's Nose and Mount Aspiring. Thes.e vantage points" gave excellent views of thp extremely difficult unclimbed coxcomb ridge of Aspiring. By 5.30 p.m. the party had .returned to the bivouac the evening was spent in admiration of the alpine scenery scintillating in the sunshine, • ■ . . ; . . At 4.45 a.m;' on December 12 the party set out for the attempt on Aspiring by the south-west ridge. The snow was in good crampon condition, and rapid progress was made up The lower part of the ridge for the first half--hour From then on the ridge rose at an ever-increasing angle to the ice-cap high above. The actual ridge was followed on practically the whole.ascent The final portion was inclined at an angle of 53deg, and steps bad-to be cut for the final 500 feet. When the party had gained the lower summit a few moments sufficed to traverse + along the top. and at 8.30 a.m/the party assembled on the roof of Otago. ;■ VIEW FROM THE SUMMIT. A cold easterly wind blowing across the southern face of the mountain blew clouds of snow over the climbers on most of the ascent; but when they.had reached the summit not a breath ,ot wind stirred the tranquil air, and for half an hour the party enjoyed a splendid view of mountain scenery. Away to the south and west lay range .on range of snow-capped peaks, while- rjsing above all others were Mount 3 Tutoko and Earnshaw. To the north lay one mass of mountain peaks which seemed never ehdinguntil, away^in^ distance, rose Mount Cook itself. -On both sides of the island the sea was plainly visible, appearing to girdle-a country of snowy mountains. At 9 a.m. the descent was commenced. On the return to the lower peak the customary route down the north-west ridge was taken, and the Bonar Glacier was reached at 11.3J a.m., while the bivouac was made in another hour. _ -. In the afternoon the Bonar Glacier was crossed and Mount Joffre climbed. From the latter point 'very fine views were obtained of Mount Aspiring. On December 13 the homeward ]ourI ney was commenced. During the mornI ing the second - ascent of Mount Avalanche was accomplished. Several pitches of steep rock makethis a very interesting climb. On- the- party's way down to the tent Mount French was traversed. ■ -. The weather continued flue, and on the Aspiring Flats at the head of.-the Matukituki Valley the mountain lilies were blooming in great profusion, dotting the mountain sides white in harmony with the snows above. ■- ,